Drone Innovation Act

The Honorable Jason Lewis
United States House of Representatives
418 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Julia Brownley
United States House of Representatives
1019 Longworth Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Todd Rokita
United State House of Representatives
2439 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable John Garamendi
United States House of Representatives
2438 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representatives Lewis, Brownley, Rokita, and Garamendi:

On behalf of the nation’s governors, legislators and chief state aviation officials, we commend you for introducing the Drone Innovation Act, which would affirm state regulatory authority regarding the operation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones.

States have been at the forefront of responsible drone regulation related to their traditional police powers.
As Congress continues its work on a 2017 FAA reauthorization, we support bipartisan efforts to preserve state, local, and tribal rights regarding drone operations. As written, the Drone Innovation Act of 2017 would both protect the FAA’s authority to ensure safety of the airspace, while also maintaining state and local authority to protect public safety and security, personal privacy, property rights, and manage land use regarding the operation of drones.

We look forward to working with you, as well as Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio, to ensure a successful 2017 FAA Reauthorization that preserves state authority and regulation over drones.